First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae

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  First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae Abstract Flies of the genus Megaselia Rondani, 1856 exhibit exceptional ecological flexibility, with certain species acting as facultative parasites. This study presents the first documented cases of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) infesting captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae, Ceratogyrus darlingi Pocock, 1897 and Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994) in terrarium settings. Our observations demonstrate that M . abdita colonise artificial habitats and exploit spider hosts similarly to Megaselia scalaris . Citation: Szymański, D.M., Szymański, D., Kłonowski, P. (2026). First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Dipteron, 42, 25-29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23137389

On the identity of Opopaea euphorbicola Strand, 1909 and first records of three other non-native goblin spiders from Ascension Island (Araneae: Oonopidae)

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On the identity of Opopaea euphorbicola Strand, 1909 and first records of three other non-native goblin spiders from Ascension Island (Araneae: Oonopidae)

Strand (1909) described Opopaea euphorbicola Strand, 1909 from Ascension Island, stating “Zwei ♀♀ von Ascension 14.IX.03, unter Euphorbia origanoides” (Strand, 1909: 549) indicating the habitat from which it was collected and clarifying there were two [syntypic] females. This material was collected by the 1901–1903 German South Polar Expedition, which also collected spiders on nearby Saint Helena (Strand 1909; Sherwood & Fowler 2023). Strand’s description focuses mostly on somatic characters and does little to establish the identity of this species, given the lack of illustrations, which is common for his descriptions (Nentwig et al. 2020).

Many thanks to Danni Sherwood for providing me with the full paper via ResearchGate

Sherwood, Danniella & Sharp, Adam. (2024). On the identity of Opopaea euphorbicola Strand, 1909 and first records of three other non-native goblin spiders from Ascension Island (Araneae: Oonopidae). 5437. 125-130. 10.11646/zootaxa.5437.1.9.